Notorious (Rebels of the Ton #1)

***This review is a wee bit spoilerish, please proceed with caution.***

Now, normally I would cut my losses early with a story that doesnt work for me. In this case, I had heard a lot about Minerva Spencer and her fabulous storytelling abilities, so persevered waiting for the fabulous to start happening. Unfortunately, I only read romance and this story was one of the least romantic I have read in a long time. At 92% I was still waiting for the fabulous to happen and HATED the Hero.

I think the main problem was that it was a little too historically accurate for my liking. Minerva Spencer seems to take glee in promoting a hero who is misogynistic, shallow, and has double standards. I was not impressed with the hero visiting his mistress (one of two) and kissing and cuddling her the day before his wedding. Then, he proceeded to shove his mistresses (who have now been promoted to friends) down his wifes throat by visiting them regularly. If the author wanted me to see his growth from mistress to a loving relationship with his new wife, she failed. Their relationship was nothing more than the hero replacing his mistresses with a new one, titled Wife.

Then, we have the supposedly strong-minded heroine with unusual opinions blah, blah, blah equal rights blah, blah, blah feminism blah, blah, blah I just didn’t feel it. Im told that the heroine believed and followed Mary Wollstonecrafts philosophies, but there was no proof besides ‘talk’ of meetings between likeminded individuals. At the first stumbling block, the heroine forgoes all that she stood for previously and succumbs to the sexual allure of her handsome husband. Again, this is probably historically accurate because women didnt really get a choice back in the day. Why start with a description of this forward-thinking woman and not show her as one?

One of the biggest failings with this couple and their relationship is their lack of communication. The heroine expected the hero to read her mind. The hero didnt think the heroine was entitled to his thoughts and opinions unless they were directed to her failings and perceived disloyalty. It took way too long for this couple to have a genuine conversation.

If I dont like the hero, theres a pretty good chance that I wont like the story. While there were some improvements with their communication by the end, it was just a little too late. Even when it was time for this couple to come together to fight the villain, it seemed they were still on different pages.

I liked that the hero was original with a mixed heritage, and we get to know a little about his history and the struggles he faced moving to London. The heros past was ugly and very different from his fellow Londoners. He made every effort to fit in and change his beliefs, the way he talked and dressed. While in some ways he was accepted, there were still many times that he was treated differently. Luckily for him, his mother was the daughter of a Duke, and that connection helped him in society. Im not 100% sure of the historical accuracy in this part, but I imagined the author wasnt too far off the mark.

Two stars for Notorious. While this story was lacking in romance and I struggled to see a happy ever after for the couple, there were parts that I found interesting.

To each, his own and all that jazz, don’t judge this book on my opinion alone. Take the time to read what others say, and you may find Notorious works perfectly for you.

Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

Yes I used the “R” word – it’s clear a white lady wrote this book trying to be “inclusive” but failing? I get what she was trying to do, but unfortunately it reinforced the subconscious racist biased thinking she was maybe trying to bring attention to.

The beginning is so heavy on how this Muslim, Brown man has misogynist views because of his religion/upbringing. Though she tried to show that it’s bad how London society looks at Gabriel as a savage, his character inherently (re)acts in ways that end up reinforcing that trope (e.g: his possessiveness, rage) whereas the actions of the white men, he’s pitted against, are more refined – even when they are engaging in vile pursuits (or doing the same). Similarly the fetishizing of his attractiveness (exotic looks, animalistic sexual nature) to a white audience (both with the characters & probably the readers of this book) just felt very….gross. As a reader of the same background, I was very hurt by the characterizations. I will say, I appreciated the focus on being an outsider/not fitting in, but I don’t think that was enough to out weigh the negatives – I tried reading this three times and finally gave up.

I adore the cover art for this book. The story is just fantastic Drusilla and Eva are the best of characters. Their wit is unparalleled. Gabriel has a hard time trying to keep up with them once they start arguing with him. The story deals with so many topics that were unconventional for the time but does it in such a way that is both outrageous and totally hilarious. I found myself laughing and alternately rolling my eyes at something one of the characters would say or do. The entire story is an absolute delight from start to finish and I cant wait to see what antics Eva gets up to in the next in the series.

Loved reading this book- the male character was written with so much emotions and loved his relationship with all the different people in his life especially it was hilarious to read about his mother and him- his mothers story which is in another bin was one of my favorites. The only person I found slightly boring was the female character she as way too flustered and ready to jump to her defense aimlessly.

This is the first book book I’ve read from this author. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot. Gabriel is a very sexy hero.

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